Google revs up driverless car, axes steering wheel

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Google unveiled plans to build its own self-driving car – minus the steering wheel – that it hopes to begin testing in the coming months.

“They won’t have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal... because they don’t need them. Our software and sensors do all the work,” Google’s Chris Urmson said in a blog post late Tuesday.

Mr Urmson, who directs the self-driving car project, said Google plans to build about 100 prototypes, “and later this summer, our safety drivers will start testing early versions of these vehicles that have manual controls.”

He added, “If all goes well, we’d like to run a small pilot program here in California in the next couple of years.”

This handout image provided on May 28, 2014 by Google, shows a self-driving two-seat prototype vehicle conceived and designed by Google. -- PHOTO: AFP